The Responsibility to Protect: The Time Is Now

It is understandable that in the ongoing dispute over the elements of the security concept “responsibility to protect,” or R2P as it is known, the forest appears to have become lost for the trees. R2P can be defined as the respon sibility of a state to protect its citizens from the specific crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes; the doctrine also includes the aspect of prevention of these crimes through any necessary means. The debate rages over issues such as the seeming subjugation of state sovereignty, authorization, who can and will intervene, and the scope of any humanitarian intervention. This is not to trivialize matters; indeed, these are worthy issues that must not be suppressed. However, these are matters of process, not the goal. Current times and conflicts make R2P one of the most critical concerns for the international community. While interstate conflicts have dropped dramatically, intra state ones have risen to take their place. Within those wars, civilians are frequently killed at an alarming rate, either by government forces or those sanctioned by state forces, or by militias who fight each other or the state for control and power. Innocent civilians are caught in the middle and pay the price. While this takes place, the international community all too often, to its everlasting shame, sits on the sidelines and debates the how, why, when, and where of intervention. Powerful states squabble over their self- interests and trade yea or nay votes; meanwhile, people die.